The Bet
by mrskakashisensei
Summary: Naruto and Sakura have a bet to see who can catch Kakashi-sensei displaying emotion, who will win? Will this bet lead to an unexpected love? KakaSaku Mild Language


Silence. That's all Haruno Sakura heard as she spied on Hatake Kakashi, with a bouquet of flowers at the memorial stone. She couldn't remember it ever being this quiet. She looked at her sensei's face, well, his eye of course. And she almost cried when she saw it. He looked so sad, it was rumored that he never _ever_ showed emotion, save for certain battles and deaths of close comrades of course. But here, at the memorial stone, he practically _radiated_ sadness.

She had followed him here because, upon betting Naruto that she couldn't see their sensei showing emotion, outside of battles or friends deaths of course, she had begun following him since after breakfast at Ichiraku's. She felt bad now, of course, she hadn't four years ago when she was spying on him when she was 12. But that was in order to see his face, and back then she didn't realize that losing a friend could cause years of painful recovery and mourning. This time, she felt awful, because seeing a man that never showed emotion was _heartbreaking_. Especially since she'd gone through so much with him since he began training team seven. She would have left, if not for her fear of alerting him to her presence as she moved. The only reason she was able to get this close without him sensing her was because of the bush she was in and the wind that currently blew her scent away from him. Kami forbid it should die down.

Suddenly, she caught a whisper of words coming from Kakashi's direction. She strained her ears to hear more of it. "Obito…Rin," Kakashi began. "I don't suppose I've told you about this war coming up, have I?" "I know I have before, but I want to tell you more about it. I'm worried about Naruto and Sakura, how will they handle this, I wonder." "How will they handle seeing their comrades die on the battle field?" "I think Naruto just might lose it, and Sakura, I don't know about her, she'll be heartbroken, and I hate so much to see her cry, she's much too pretty for that, too young to see her friends die." He chuckled. "I suppose I'm not making much sense here am I, Obito? Considering I saw you die when I was younger than she was right now. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, protect both of you, but I promise I'll protect her-them, I mean. This war has made me remember things that I know I'm better off to forget, or rather, it's thrown them back in my face, like I'd ever forget. Obito, Rin, Minato-sensei, I swear I'll protect them both, I'll die for them, then I'll finally join you I guess, that is, considering I go to the same place you all did, even though I don't deserve to go to such a wonderful place. I'm sorry I'm such trash."

'_Damn him for making me cry, he's not trash, he's a hero, how could he think otherwise?.' _Thought Sakura sadly. She was crying now, his voice was laced with so much pain, it was hard not to. She wondered what happened to him to make him so sad. She wished she could go and comfort him, but he wasn't exactly the person to let her comfort him. As she started to attempt to dry her tears, she looked at him, bad move.

He had one hand on the kunai-shaped memorial stone, the other wrapped around the bouquet, and his head was bowed. She cried harder, as much as she dared, the silent tears slipping onto the cold winter ground. She had stopped trying to listen, fearing she'd be discovered because of her tears. But if it was possible, he looked sadder than ever before, as if he was remembering something even more painful. Her heart wrenched. Suddenly, without changing positions, she heard her sensei call out calmly, "Sakura, how long are you gonna hide in that bush?"

'_Oh no!' _ She thought, '_I can't let him know I was crying!'_ Furiously wiping away tears, she crawled out of the bush, greeted with the sight of her silver-haired sensei placing the bouquet of flowers at the bottom of the memorial stone. Walking toward him, Kakashi continued to speak, "Why have you been following me, Sakura?" She flushed. "O-Oh, uh, well, you see," "It's fine, Sakura, tell me later." Said Kakashi, interrupting her. "Are you okay though? You look as though you've been crying." He said. '_Awww, he's been here, and he's worried about me?' _she thought. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine Sensei." Said Sakura. Well, that might've explained her puffy pink cheeks, but not the bloodshot eye. He wasn't buying it. "Hn." Said Kakashi, in his monotone voice that revealed nothing of his thoughts

He figured she'd talk when she was ready, so he just stood quietly at the stone, remembering awful moments of years past. Instead of talking, she walked up beside her Sensei solemnly. "K-Kakashi Sensei," she began nervously, "I-I heard what you said." "What do you mean?" he asked. "I mean here, just now, at the memorial stone." She said seriously. Well, hell, how was he supposed to explain this one? "You don't have to say anything Kakashi-sensei, but I do want to stay with you, and when you're done, I'd like to talk." She said. "Is that why you were crying?" he asked. She said nothing, her silence revealing all. "Hmm." said Kakashi. '_So,' _he thought, '_was she crying for me? Or crying because I said her friends would die?'_ He was guessing the latter, so he decided to apologize.

"I'm sorry you heard those things Sakura." He said solemnly. "Wait, what, why are you apologizing?" she asked, confused. "I'm talking about the hearing me say those things about your friends." He explained simply. "Oh, no, Sensei, I cried because, well, because I heard what happened to you, what you think of yourself." He was silent for a moment. He just stared at the memorial stone, the sadness in his eyes returning. Sakura emitted a questioning air, silently urging the older man to continue. "Why," he began after a minute, "Why did you cry for me?" he asked. "Are you stupid!?" she said forcefully, a little to forcefully. "I care about you, I don't want you to think you're trash, that you're not going to go to the same place as your comrades, you're too hard on yourself, Sensei!" she said, voice rising and tears beginning to fall.

He turned at the sound of her sobs which she tried to quiet, failing miserably. His heart dropped, seeing him look so sad, though part of him was happy she cried for him, cried the tears he'd forgotten how to shed long, long ago. "Sakura, please don't cry." He said sadly. "I hate to see you cry." He said. "Sensei." Said Sakura, determined to keep her cool for his sake. "Will you tell me about them?" she asked. He was silent. But after a moment, turned to the memorial stone. "He was my best friend, someone I couldn't protect, he died because he saved me, he told me to protect Rin, but I couldn't do it. I hate myself for it. He is the reason I have my Sharingan. He made me who I am." Speaking softly and sadly, as if to himself, Kakashi continued. "I come here every day, to talk to them, to apologize for what I couldn't do, for what I was far too naïve and too blind to see."

In the silence that followed, Sakura realized he meant to speak no more on the subject. He turned, sighing unbeknownst to her. Smiling, he added, "I'm sorry Sakura, but I have to go catch up on some reading." He said, walking away. "Wait!" she exclaimed, grabbing his sleeve, "Please, don't." she whispered. He was slightly puzzled, why did she care so much for him? Judging from the tears that shone in her emerald eyes, she cared a great deal more than he ever thought she did. Sakura's tears spilled over, she hated that, she couldn't even stop crying for her Sensei's sake, she felt so awful for him though. What if when he said he would die for Naruto and her and possibly join Obito and Rin in the afterlife, he meant he wouldn't fight for his own life if it wasn't a threat to anyone that he lost his life in the war?

When that thought hit her, she lost control. She started to sob, body- wrenching sobs. Kakashi's heart dropped so far, it broke a bit and he just knew a part of him had died. She kneeled on the ground, sobbing still, and her sensei kneeled with her, gathering her in his arms in an attempt to calm his ex- student. And he finally realized that this heart wrenching sadness he felt for the girl, was caused by love.

He was appalled at having feelings for his ex-student, but she was so perfect, how could he not? Even so, he brushed those thoughts away and continued to hold her, for what seemed like forever, and he held her even after she was calmed enough to talk. Still slightly crying, she tried to speak, "Darn, I-I g-got y-your flak jacket dirty." She choked out. "Sakura, the jacket is the least of my worries." He murmured, running a soothing hand along her back. "W-when you said y-you'd die for Naruto and I, did you m-mean you wouldn't try to fight for your own life!?" she said, crying hard again. "Sakura, shhh, let me explain, it's true, I did mean that at first, at least a bit, but I promise I'll fight for my life, I won't give up." He murmured into her ear.

His arms tightened around her waist and back as the pink haired girl clung to him. "A-and I-I want to be very clear on this, you are _**not**_ a piece of trash, and you _will_ go to them in the afterlife, do you understand me?" she said forcefully, through tears. "Bastard." He heard her murmur. "Why am I bastard, Sakura?" the silver haired man asked. "Because, you made me look like an idiot crying when you should be the one doing it, and for making me feel so bad and worry about you." She sniffed. He chuckled with his happy eye-crease. "Sakura, you're definitely _not _and idiot, I'm glad you cry for me, because I've forgotten how to, I can't cry anymore, being a shinobi has made it impossible for me, that's why I'm so glad you can." He said softly.

"Fine, but you _do_ understand you're not trash, right?" she asked. He closed his eyes and rested his chin on her head. After a minute, he replied softly, "Sakura, you have to admit, there are some things you can't change about me." She was silent, processing his words. "Fine." She replied in a tone that said she was determined to convince him otherwise. "But, for now, at _least _recognize that you're a hero." He was silent, she continued. "You've saved countless people, not to mention me, Naruto, and Sasuke. And Choji and Kurenai-sensei, Asuma-sensei, Iruka-sensei, Captain Yamato, -""Okay okay I get it Sakura." Said Kakashi, chuckling into her hair. "Hm, do you now?" she said skeptically.

Then her head rose up, and wiping away her remaining tears she looked at her sensei and said, "Fine, I'll believe you, for now." She said, smiling. "But I _will_ talk to you more about this because we are_ not_ done yet." She said tersely, and he knew she meant it. He smiled at her through his mask and replied, "Of course, Sakura-chan." He said. He ruffled her hair like he did when she was younger and she giggled, smiling at him while her emerald eyes filled with mirth, and she flashed him a smile that a goddess would have surely been jealous of. And he realized too late, that while looking into her eyes, he had unconsciously leaned in to kiss her through his mask.

Damnitt. He knew his jaw was about to be broken by her chakra enhanced fist the second his masked lips met hers. But it wasn't. She kissed back timidly. He pulled away, surprised, his visible black eye going wide. "Sakura." He said, surprised. He had also just realized he hadn't let the girl go ever since she started to cry, they were still very close to each other. Her arms moved up to remove his hitae-ate so she could look as both of his eyes. His eye opened, revealing the Sharingan with three tomoe His mismatched eyes looked into her emerald ones. "Close your eyes." Sakura said. He obeyed; she leant up to kiss his closed Sharingan, all the way down to the end of his scar. She pulled back and his eyes flew open with a look of sheer surprise upon his face his eyes wide as he stared at her. She frowned, wondering if she'd crossed the line, blushed, and looked away. He chuckled and turned her chin upward with one hand, forcing her to look him in the eye, and he chuckled when he saw her blush grow past the shade of her hair into a deep red.

"Sakura," he began, "You didn't do anything wrong." She stared at him, smiling and blushing, and he realized how much he loved her blush, she was so cute. So he decided to test her reaction by kissing her again, it was a tender, very gentle kiss, the most tender he'd ever given. He knew she hadn't even had her first kiss, save the one earlier of course. When he pulled away, she buried her head in his chest and whispered to herself, "I love you." He smiled. It seemed she had forgotten about his superb senses. "I love you too, Sakura." He said chuckling. She pulled back, mortified, "You weren't supposed to hear that!" she exclaimed. He chuckled and ruffled her hair again. "She smiled. "Sensei?" she asked. "Hmm?" came Kakashi's reply. "How did you know I was following you?" "I'm a jonin, remember? It'd be bad if I couldn't sense you." He smiled, his eyes forming the familiar happy 'U' shape.

"Hmmm, ok Sensei." She said, giggling. "We should get up." She said. He sighed, "Fine, but how would you feel about going to Ichiraku with me tonight?" he asked. "Are you gonna pay?" she asked skeptically. "Of course, I can't let my girlfriend pay for our date, now can I? I'm cheap, Sakura-chan, but I'm not that cheap, and I'm still a gentleman." He replied smiling. She flushed at the word girlfriend, but giggled and replied, "Okay Kakashi- Sensei." He smiled as he got up first, and offering her his hand, they left the memorial stone behind for Ichiraku Ramen.

"HEY SAKURA-CHAN!" shouted Naruto, running up to them. "Did you win the bet?" the hyperactive blonde boy asked. Sakura thought for a moment, smiled, then said "No Naruto, I lost." "WOOHHOOOO!" shouted the blonde, who then proceeded to shout "SAKURA-CHAN HAS TO GO ON A DATE WITH ME!" he smiled and said, "See you tomorrow Sakura-chan!" he smiled, running off. "Well, I believe he's going to be disappointed when we tell him about us." Said Kakashi chuckling."Yeah." Sakura replied with a smile. "And what was he talking about, what bet?" he asked. She laughed, "Oh, that's a story for another time, Sensei."


End file.
